Administer medicines directly, not mixed in food. Follow the prescribed schedule, but if you miss a dose, don’t increase the next one. Don’t give an animal human medicine unless so directed by a veterinarian.
When giving medicine, be firm, but gentle; speak reassuringly to your pet. If a cat resists, wrap it in a towel or have an assistant restrain it as shown.
To administer pills, grasp a dog’s muzzle or a cat’s head with one hand so that your thumb and forefinger are on opposite sides of the mouth. Press the jaws apart by squeezing the animal’s lips against its teeth just forward of the jaw hinge. Keep a dog’s lips curled over its teeth to protect your fingers from a bite. Tilt the head back and up. Holding the pill between thumb and forefinger of your free hand, place the pill on the tongue as far back as possible; don’t toss it in, quickly close the mouth and hold it shut while stroking the throat.
With a cat, make sure the pill goes behind the hump of the tongue. Then close its mouth and quickly blow in its face. For liquid medicine gently pull out a dog’s lower lip just in front of the corner of the mouth to make a small pocket. Using a syringe or an eyedropper, pour the medicine into the pocket a little at a time. After each partial dose, close the pocket, lift the muzzle slightly, and wait for the dog to swallow. Hold a cat’s lips open at one side of the mouth and administer liquid slowly with an eyedropper.